Do you suffer from stage fright?
If so, you are definitely not alone.
I suffer from it myself.
It is one of the reasons I teach singing and do not perform on stage.
But I’m nobody.
There are also a bunch of famous singers who overcame stage fright in order to become huge stars.
Keep reading to learn who they are and how they managed to overcome their shyness when on stage. Learning that they were able to do it may help you with your stage fright as well.
Singers Who Overcame Stage Fright To Become Stars
The following singers are among the most famous in the world. Some are famous for their shyness on stage, but some others will definitely surprise you. They do such an amazing job of covering it up and appearing ultra-confident.
Ozzy Osbourne
It is almost ridiculous to imagine the Prince of Darkness, the holder of the Guinness World Record for the “Longest Scream by a Crowd”, being afraid of the stage. Ozzy only recently revealed that he still suffers from severe stage fright, five decades deep into his career.
In all fairness, Ozzy and his (former) Black Sabbath fellows had every reason to be stage-shy. They invented a brand-new style of music, attracted the spookiest of crowds, made waves across the globe with their work, and continue to reinvent music today.
Moreover, Ozzy Osbourne has a very unique, peculiar voice that, just like his own brand of music, is incomparable to everything mainstream. Although he never openly expressed that his stage fright stems from going against the grain, it is possible that he was afraid of the reception his music would receive.
Adele
Adele’s stage fright is possibly one of the best-documented cases in this field, covered by major media outlets such as Forbes and BBC.
However, she is one of the scant few performers who harnessed their fears into something more productive. By perpetually battling her fears, she soars to new heights, expands her repertoire with original music, and continues to cater to her fans.
The cause of Adele’s stage fright isn’t too difficult to decipher. She broke out in the music industry in 2006 and was hailed among the largest musical sensations.
With one of the top-selling debut recordings and amazing follow-ups, she climbed the ladder in an extremely short time and began performing in front of millions.
In many interviews, both old and recent, Adele has confirmed on multiple occasions that stage fright still comes between her and the stage. However, similar to Sia and Taylor Swift, she puts her love for the fans and music above personal insecurities and claims victory over her shyness.
Rihanna
In merely two decades, Rihanna claimed the title of the “wealthiest female music performer” as well as a myriad of other accolades, including over a dozen top singles, Grammy awards & nominations. She even holds 6 Guinness World Records and is considered among the top 100 most influential persons in the entire world (according to Time magazine).
How does one achieve such monumental success while being shy on the stage? It appears that Rihanna’s story isn’t too different from Adele’s.
While her road to success encompasses over twenty years of hard work, she took the music industry by storm in 2003 with Pon de Replay, after which she just kept growing and growing. As her popularity increased at a rapid pace, so too did the crowds attending her live performances across the globe.
Hailing from Saint Michael, Barbados, Rihanna was rarely performing at her “home field”. This probably had at least some impact on her stage fright, although she soon claimed concert halls and stadiums as her own, overcoming stage fright and anxiety with every subsequent performance and release.
Katy Perry
Katy Perry’s vibrant personality vividly shows in her live performances and music, to the point that it is almost impossible to dub her a “shy” or “anxious” music artist.
She has performed over 800+ concerts, has six studio recordings, and has been featured in a mountain of artistic work ever since she emerged in the pop scene in 2001.
As Katy said in many interviews, the crowds of fans screaming her name are both the reason she continues performing, and the main cause of her stage fright. This is a very common phenomenon when millions of people from diverse walks of life trust and love you, but it was a bit of a shocking discovery given Perry’s unique personality and poise.
Her fans generally love her live performances, but there have been some hiccups. Most notably, there was her performance of Roar at the NRJ Music Awards, which is one of the worst lip synch disasters caught on camera.
Taylor Swift
Among all the world-class performers who wrestle with stage fright before big shows, Taylor Swift is perhaps the one you would least expect.
She has performed at over 1,100+ concerts, toured the better part of the world, and has fifteen albums, making her one of the most prolific artists of modern times.
Although Taylor has an indomitable stage presence regardless of how large the crowds are, she expressed in one interview that she has felt a bit intimidated by the size of some of the venues she has performed in.
Taylor Swift sang the national anthem at Ford Field in 2006 and noted that she felt it “impossible for a place to be that big”. Like other global icons I mentioned earlier, Taylor harnessed the energy her fans directed her way into overcoming stage fright and anxiety, ultimately resulting in a memorable experience for both sides.
What’s surprising to me is that Taylor doesn’t appear to share the anxiety her peers felt when starting out, especially because she surfaced in the pop world roughly around the same time as Rihanna and Katy Perry did, only as a much younger artist.
Sia
The famous singer and songwriter Sia Kate Isobelle Furler, more popularly known as Sia, is one of the shiest people in the pop music industry. Seven studio recordings under her belt, hundreds of live performances, and tons of touring across all compass points – who would’ve thought she has a severe case of stage fright?
In a GMA interview before a major concert, she mentioned that doesn’t love performing, because it feels scary, but she ultimately pulls through live sets because she loves the fans of her music.
Cher
One of the longest-running superstars in the world of pop, rock, and dance music, Cher saw countless trends come and go. She personally instigated more than one revolution in the music business, with dozens of best-selling albums charting at Billboard and internationally.
Similar to Ozzy, Cher’s unique talent and personality attract millions of fans to her shows, which is enough to make anyone a bit shy.
Cher openly admitted that she always had stage fright issues. In a Herald Sun interview dated 2018, she elaborated that stage fright can be used as a tool when harnessed properly.
She mentioned on a few occasions that her anxiety stems from “not fitting in”, and that she vividly recalls this sensation even amid all the success she achieved (and continues to claim) as a world-renowned musician.
Famous Singers Who Beat Stage Fright: Final Thoughts
Were you as surprised as I was to learn that some of these famous singers suffer from stage fright? I mean, we all know that Adele and Sia have struggled with it, but I never would have guessed Taylor Swift or Rihanna.
Are there any other huge stars who have struggled with stage fright? Did they manage to overcome it? Please let me know in the comments below. I would love to add some more names to the list.
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